Peters



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. BQWEST. Water Meter.'

Patented Fleb.,22`, 1881.

7 V1| -f -f/ NJETERS. PHOTO-LITMUGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D. C.

N.PETEH$. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPNER, WASHINGTON. D. G.

NKITED STATES JONATHAN B. WEJST, OFGENESEO, NEW YORK.

WATER- M ETE R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 238,011, dated February 22, 1881. Application filed March 6, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that IJ0NATHAN B. WEs'r, a

.citizen of the United States, residing at Gene seo, Livingston county, New Yorlnhave invented a certain new and useful Improvement in l/Vater-Meters and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in whieh- .Figure lis a longitudinal vertical section of the meter. Fig. 2 is a similar view at right angles to Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a cross-section in line x a: of Fig. 2.- Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view, showing the valves, the spring and lever for operating the same, and the upper end of the piston-rod for operating the lever. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the piston. g Myimprovementrelates to piston-1neters,and is similar in general construction to that patented by Barton and West, November 4, 1879.

The object is to dispense with the chain which connects the piston with the operating-lever in that ca se and substitute a more effective arrangement; also, to provide a simple and effective means for operating the registering apparatus.

In the dra-wings, A represents the cylinder of the case, and B the upper part of the case which contains the valves and connecting mechanism.

I is the brass barrel set into the cylinder, and C is the piston, which runs up and down therein. An annular spaee,j, is left all around the barrel for the passage of the water, and a space, j', is also left beneath the barrel for the saine purpose, the barrel resting upon lugs e c of the case. h h andi i are the valves `which cover the ports f j' and g g, and alternately open and close to change thel currents of water. The upper and lower valves are respectively attached to angular spring-plates 7c 7c, having fulcrumpoints m m, which bear on the butments of the water-chamber, and the valves are connected by links Z l, which extend vertically through theports. The opposite valves of the upper and lower sets open and close together as the valves are thrown. n is a spring, in the form of a bow or loop, attached at its upper ends to fulcrum-pins o o, so as to swingfreely, the closed portion of the bow extending down under the lower valves.

J is a rock-lever, whichrests inside the bow, having a fulcrum-point, s, on the inside., which bears up against the butment of the waterchambeig and another one, t, on the outside,

. which bears upon the spring. As the lever is thrown in one direction or the other the valves will be correspondinglyshifted bythe striking ot' the lever against the under side of the valves. The water follows the course indicated by the arrows. Entering the water-chain ber from the induction-pipe it passes down through the port g (shown at the left in Fig. 1.) and forces the piston downward. The water beneath the piston passes up the space j, thence over the top of the water-chamber, and down through the port f, (shown at the right in Fig. 1,) whence it'escapes through the eduction-tube. The water-chamber is divided by a partition, which separates the two currents ot' water. When the valves are shifted the reverse motion through the ports is produced.

Thus far the construction is the same as in the patent of Barton and West, before referred to.

My improvement is as follows:

D is a small flat tube, located in the upper part of the case, having its bottom open and its top closed water-tight.

E is a stiff flat rod, attached rigidly to the piston and moving up and down with it. This rod has a longitudinal slot, a, through which passes the outer end of the lever J. The upper and lower ends of the rod form stops b b, which strike and tilt the lever as the rod runs up and down. The upper end of the rod rests and slides in the open-ended tube D which thus forms a way and guide to the rod.

By the means above-described the use of a chain connecting the lever with the piston is avoided, which prevents the difficulty arising from the kinking and twisting of the chain, and by this means, also,there is but very little lost motion of the piston,and the machine can be considerably shortened, which takes less space and reduces the cost. One great advantage is that a regular and uniform action is produced, and there is very little liability of the piston to fail to give motion to the shifting mechanism. The top of the tube D being closed, no water can escape. By this means, also, the piston can be made of less thickness, as it is not of itself self-guiding, but is held in IOO true position by the stitt rod attached thereto resting in the tube. Where a chain is employed the piston has to be made of such thickness as to sustain and guide itself, as it has no guide above.

His a ratchet-Wheel secured in the case above the piston, and having a shaft which extends through the case into a side chamber and connects with the registering apparatus. (Not shown.) K is an arin attachedfast to the top of the piston and arranged in line with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel. The ratchet-wheel is prevented from turning back by a detent, z. At the end ot' every upstroke of the piston the arm K strikes the teeth of the ratchet-wheel and moves said ratchet-Wheel forward one notch. The shaft ofthe ratchct\vheel may pass through a stuffing-box to prevent escape of the water.

y The piston is composed oftwo reverseleather cups, u u, having two exterior metallic covering plates or disks, c o, and two interior plates, w w, the whole secured ltogether by rivets or screws d d. Theexterior plates, c 11, are turned up at the edges, so as to press and hold against the npturned flanges ofthe leathers, and from this edge they are slitted back radially some distance, thereby forming separate lips or strips r r, Fig. 5. These lips constitute a series of springs all around the circle ot' the iiange ot' the leather cup, and constantly press the same outward tight against the cylinder, thereby keepin g a close contact, compensating for wear, and preventing any loss ot' water. The inner' plates, w w, are also turned outward at their edges, so as to bear on the lower part of the upturned leather ange, so that the latter is embraced by the metal plates on the two opposite sides, which stiffens the leather and prevents it from reversing, which it might do if unprotected.

Having thus described my invention, I do not claim an arm attached to the piston and operating the ratchet-wheel by means of a pawl at the end ot' the arm; but

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a water-meter, the combination, with the valves 7L h i i, ot' the rook-lever J for shifting the valves, the rod E, attached rigidly to the piston and provided with a slot through which the rock-lever passes, and a tube, D, in the top ofthe case, in which the rod rests and slides, the whole arranged to operate in the manner and for the purpose specified.

2. In a water-meter, the stiff projecting` arm K, attached to the piston and moving directly up and down with it, in combination with the ratchet-Wheel H, arranged in line above the arm so that the arm will act upon it in the upstroke without the use ot' a pa-Wl or other connecting parts, as herein shown and described.

1n witness whereof l have hereunto signed my naine in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JONATHAN B. WTES'I. Witnesses:

R. F. Oseoon, J Aeon SPAHN. 

